Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

I used to be a big fan of the garbage-in-garbage-out principle and process. It gave me permission to treat people as badly as they treated me and gave them permission to treat me as badly as I treated them. It perpetuated itself, just like a virus. You would think that it would work with positives too, that we would treat each other as positively as we were treated. Some processes appears to only be a one-way street and I certainly do not like the direction this one is heading.

So maybe the garbage-in-garbage-out is not a great idea unless the only thing we want to cultivate, facilitate, and perpetuate is garbage. There has to be some way to make transformative and generative change.

The Buddhists accept life has suffering and suffering comes from ignorance. By not being aware and mindful, garbage-in-garbage-out becomes ignorance-in-ignorance-out. Within the multi-generational family and social patterns, we have managed to cultivate, facilitate, and perpetuate ignorance to the level that we no longer know that we no longer know and believe that we do know what we truly and obviously do not know and maybe never did.

There is nothing we can do about the ignorant thoughts, feelings, speech, and behaviors of others. No matter where they got it, it is theirs now, and only they can solve it. Of course, the same goes for us, so we can only model that there are ways to overcome ignorance and that other possibilities are always available.

We can think of the first stage of skill (mental and physical) acquisition as unconscious incompetence or unconscious ignorance. We do not know that what we are thinking, feeling, or doing does not work. The second stage is conscious ignorance where we know what we think, feel, or do does not work. Finding that we do not know something is exciting. It is where our journey is now.

When I step on the mat and see something I can do, it is very gratifying and validating that I have not wasted all this time and energy, I actually have learned a few things. However, practicing what I already know does not improve my skill level. I love it when someone shows me something new, I get very confused, and realize; now I am ignorant, now I can learn. They say the usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness. Perhaps ignorance is where I am empty on the mat and need to fill. I just need to be mindful of what I fill the space with.

In life, it is no different. We initially spend hours talking with each other to get to know who we and the other person are. Most relationships (and affairs) start from simple conversations. We want to know who that other person is and what their story is. We want to know where we fit into their lives. We want to know what we are ignorant of because that is where we connect with each other, in our not knowing (and hopefully creating) together. I have also seen where people stay ignorant of each other and the dynamics of their relationship. These relationships, based on perpetual ignorance seldom go far or end well. Yet, if we stay, open that there is always something to learn about and from each other every day, we maybe can facilitate the newness of those first few words we shared.

After over thirty years of working with people, I believe that we seldom live our lives from our intelligence. We mostly live it from the emotions we create through old unconscious pain and fear from our childhood.

When I stayed in the bashing arts, I really did not have to think about what I was doing. Bashing matched my background. If I ever thought about what I was doing, I would hesitate and get hit (or worse). So I seldom thought about it. Which also meant I seldom learned anything new in the martial arts. I just kept perpetuating the same old practiced pattern. In that blaze was the bliss of ignorance, but no real intelligence. Just more garbage-in-garbage-out. You hit me and I hit you (harder).

Part of what drew me to Aikido was the fact that it appeared to be a very intelligent means to problem solving and resolving conflict. Like I said, to learn something new I had to be confused by this idea of not hitting back. In a martial sense, this is contradictory to the concept of force. Yet, my intelligence suggested that perhaps someone wanted to do me harm, I did not have to perpetuate and escalate the conflict (and damage) by hitting back. I have never been a nonviolent pacifist, so just taking it, turning the other cheek, or walking away, was beyond what was possible or desired. I wanted to walk into the conflict, face it down, and take control of it without adding to it. In chemistry, they call this a catalyst. If ignorance created the fight, perhaps intelligence was a way to resolve it (or at least a few of them).

As a couples and family therapist, I seldom believe it when people tell me they do not know what to do. Sometimes that confusion of ignorance only hides the contradiction between what they have always done and what they already know they need to do. Don't we all already intelligently know we need to stop hurting each other and using intoxicants and start treating each other with empathy and compassion? Of course, we do. That is exactly what we would tell others to do in our situation.

Instead of garbage-in-garbage-out, perhaps we can try ignorance-in-intelligence-out, fear/pain-in-empathy/compassion-out. The transformative and generative process is the use of mindful intelligence in all we do.

So am I proposing that we all already have some innate intelligence that overcomes ignorance? In a way, I guess I am. The Buddhist believes that we are all already enlightened, we just forget.

Perhaps besides accepting our ignorance and our intelligence, we need to cultivate the courage to act on what we all already know.

On the mat, I often tell people that if someone chooses to be angry or fearful, to let it be the other person. If someone chooses to lose their balance, let that too be the other person. While connected and interacting with (not on or to) the other person, we must maintain our own structural alignments, our relaxation of body, our calmness of minds, and our clear intent to resolve the issue with the minimum amount of force and effort necessary.

Resilience in life is greatest when we believe we will get through the rough times together and that the rough times will make use stronger. Resilience is not a sometime perspective or skill. It is our everyday discipline.

Garbage/ignorance-in-intelligence/integrity-out.

Breathe in, ignorance

Breathe out, intelligence

integrity

Thanks for listening, for the opportunity to be of service, and for sharing the journey. Now get back to training. KWATZ!

Lynn Seiser (b. 1950 Pontiac, Michigan), Ph.D. has been a perpetual student of martial arts, CQC/H2H, FMA/JKD, and other fighting systems for over 40 years. He currently holds the rank of Yondan (4th degree black belt) from Sensei Andrew Sato of the Aikido World Alliance and Sandan (3rd degree Black Belt) from Sensei Dang Thong Phong of the International Tenshinkai Aikido Federation. He is the co-author of three books on Aikido (with Phong Sensei) and his martial art articles have appeared in Black Belt Magazine, Aikido Today Magazine, and Martial Arts and Combat Sports Magazine. He is the founder of Aiki-Solutions and IdentityTherapy and is an internationally respected psychotherapist in the clinical treatment of offenders, victims, and families of violence, trauma, abuse, and addiction. He is a professor of clinical and forensic psychology with an expertise in family violence and treatment. He currently lives in Marietta, GA and trains and teaches at Kyushinkan Dojo, Roswell Budokan.

Greetings Lynn,
Thank you, as always, for your timely reminders of the realities we face on a daily basis. You bring a fresh, albeit occasionally dark, and at times harsh, perspective on those concepts we may take for granted, but are vital for a martial artist to bear in mind. Thank you for displaying the courage and a high sense of personal integrity for your contributions here on Aiki Web, and for your students.

Thank you, as always, for your timely reminders of the realities we face on a daily basis. You bring a fresh, albeit occasionally dark, and at times harsh, perspective on those concepts we may take for granted, but are vital for a martial artist to bear in mind. Thank you for displaying the courage and a high sense of personal integrity for your contributions here on Aiki Web, and for your students.

Thank you Sensei for all you have given me over th years. (Who would have figured?)

The harsh dark side is where I have always lived and work. It is my reality. I am always grateful that my simple words and thoughts are only a reminder to others and not a statement of their everyday reality.

As I try to lead by example, I am also lead by the examples of others. Some how how to be and some on how not to be.

I guess integrity is trying to intelligently face our ignorance and not harm others in the process?

Thanks for all you offer us in words and deads.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!

Sometimes it is better to walk away. Integrity involves a commitment to ourselves. Sometimes partners are not what they seem...I can't judge another person intentions by my own. Assumptions cause me problems. I like to be in the question. I don't think that makes me ignorant. I like to think of it as being open. It makes everyday a new adventure.

Sometimes it is better to walk away. Integrity involves a commitment to ourselves. Sometimes partners are not what they seem...I can't judge another person intentions by my own. Assumptions cause me problems. I like to be in the question. I don't think that makes me ignorant. I like to think of it as being open. It makes everyday a new adventure.

Yes agreed.

Sometimes the intelligent thing is to walk away, while standing your ground is about ignorance, egocentrism, and arrogance. Intelligence is discernment. Wisdom/serenity is knowing the difference.

We know how to spell assume.

Intelligent questions direct you to be open to intelligent answers.

Everyday is a new adventure if we have learned from the past, otherwise its the same old adventure on a different day.

Thanks for reading and responding.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!

Thank you for that reminder about the past, Lynn. If I continued to do old behaviors I would have had the same results. I forget sometimes what a long, interesting journey it has been and continues to be.

Thank you for that reminder about the past, Lynn. If I continued to do old behaviors I would have had the same results. I forget sometimes what a long, interesting journey it has been and continues to be.

Yes agreed.

I had e really good friend (now deceased) who would every so often have to remind me that "this is a hell of a long way from Detroit".

In retrospect, I guess it has been an interesting journey. Never figured I'd come this far. Neither did anyone else.

But what really has my intention and attention, is the journey that still lies ahead. If you never forget where you come from or where you are going, you probably will always know where you are and what you need to do.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!

Hi Lynn. Isn't ignorance a state - of not-knowing. So what we are putting in - into that state of not-knowing - is knowledge.

Perhaps we need a transitional phase. Putting in knowledge forces out fear and ignorance. As you suggest we have to have the intelligence and the courage to transform the knowledge into wisdom, empathy and compassion. So the shorthand version might be: knowledge in - wisdom out.

Thanks for the interesting ideas.

Niall

we can make our minds so like still water, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life
w b yeats

Isn't ignorance a state - of not-knowing. So what we are putting in - into that state of not-knowing - is knowledge. Perhaps we need a transitional phase. Putting in knowledge forces out fear and ignorance. As you suggest we have to have the intelligence and the courage to transform the knowledge into wisdom, empathy and compassion. So the shorthand version might be: knowledge in - wisdom out.

Yes agreed.

We often think about ignorance is not-knowing. Which can imply a state of emptiness.

That could actually be a positive state, like conscious incompetence, at least we know we don't know and are hopefully open to filling with knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, empathy, and compassion.

Too often the ignorance is in the process itself, not just the content. Like unconscious incompetence, we do not know that what we think we know doesn't work or isn't real to begin with.

So before we can fill with correct knowledge and intelligence, we have to empty ourselves of the beliefs we have learned from family and society before there is a place to fill.

Seeing through the illusions that have held together our identity and reality is not easy.

Many of us were raised with the ignorant illusion that a harder offense/attack will protect us, only to find that it creates, facilitates, and perpetuates the fear we are protecting ourselves against. Who would have guessed that our best defensive is to stop being defensive and seeing everything is the world as a personal attack?

Thanks for reading, responding, and offering us more insights to consider.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!

Dear All,
Rather than have intelligence [not that its not an disadvantage to be a bright spark] I think common sense is more useful.I knew managers of companies who were very intelligent but some lacked common sense.As far as integrity goes again this is a rare commodity nowadays.Sad to say some people compromise their integrity to suit their own set of circumstance.I bet I sound a pretty cynical guy?
Cheers, Joe.

Rather than have intelligence [not that its not an disadvantage to be a bright spark] I think common sense is more useful.I knew managers of companies who were very intelligent but some lacked common sense.As far as integrity goes again this is a rare commodity nowadays.Sad to say some people compromise their integrity to suit their own set of circumstance.

Yes agreed.

Common sense is more useful and does not appear to be very common anymore.

IMHO, common sense is intelligence, as opposed to simply being educated or filled with other people's information. Intelligence is being able to take information, introspection, and insight and apply it to life (everyone's life) with the integrity of doing the right thing.

Integrity is when our decision, direction, and daily discipline are congruent with our intent and attention.

Perhaps intelligence and integrity is also seeking without compromise that which is rare but of great value.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!

Common sense is more useful and does not appear to be very common anymore.

IMHO, common sense is intelligence, as opposed to simply being educated or filled with other people's information. Intelligence is being able to take information, introspection, and insight and apply it to life (everyone's life) with the integrity of doing the right thing.

Integrity is when our decision, direction, and daily discipline are congruent with our intent and attention.

Perhaps intelligence and integrity is also seeking without compromise that which is rare but of great value.

Dear Mr Seiser,
Could not agree with you more.We as aikidoka sometimes have viewpoints that might be considered altruitistic/lofty /good morals.All too often people abandon these ideals for varied reasons[ambition, status /gain ]or maybe the fact is we are all human and subject to human failings?
Cheers, Joe.

I like reading what you write...and yet, if you'll excuse my picking a nit (or perhaps a bone?), I wonder if one day we will be able to go beyond the dismissive labeling of other styles as "the bashing arts". I find it ironic that you use a term that perpetuates willful ignorance in this post. It's not that there's nothing worthwhile in comparing your prior experiences to what you know now; but it strikes me that the difference is less in the style than in the student, then and now -- the student who could only see "bashing" vs. the student who can see something more. Aikido has enough of a sanctimonious superiority complex already; it doesn't need to be fed.

I like reading what you write...and yet, if you'll excuse my picking a nit (or perhaps a bone?), I wonder if one day we will be able to go beyond the dismissive labeling of other styles as "the bashing arts". I find it ironic that you use a term that perpetuates willful ignorance in this post. It's not that there's nothing worthwhile in comparing your prior experiences to what you know now; but it strikes me that the difference is less in the style than in the student, then and now -- the student who could only see "bashing" vs. the student who can see something more. Aikido has enough of a sanctimonious superiority complex already; it doesn't need to be fed.

Thank you for reading and responding.

Nitting and bones are always welcome and well taken.

When I refer to my past in the "bashing arts" it is only meant to be descriptive, not dismissive. My mind and technique were focused on "bashing".

I neither see/think of bashing or Aikido in judgmental terms of more/less, better/worse, good/bad, inferior/superior. I simply see/think of them as different.

BTW, I totally agree with you on the "sanctimonious superiority complex" common in Aikido. I often think its a compensation for the opposite.

Thanks for nitting and picking bones with me. Its how we learn and train to improve.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!

Could not agree with you more.We as aikidoka sometimes have viewpoints that might be considered altruitistic/lofty /good morals.All too often people abandon these ideals for varied reasons[ambition, status /gain ]or maybe the fact is we are all human and subject to human failings?

If we are subject to human "failing" aren't we also subject to human "success"?

Ignorance may suggest that once abandon, we can never return.

Intelligence may suggest that even if we get off track, we can always return to the right path.

Perhaps integrity isn't always being on it, but how quickly we regain our direction and discipline?

Any thoughts anyone?

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!